NASA and ULA To Test Inflatable Heat Shield For Atmospheric Reentry

Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator

The Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (Loftid) is scheduled for Nov. 1.

Credit: Greg Swanson/NASA
NASA and United Launch Alliance are kicking off what they hope will be a series of orbital flight tests to scale up the size of heat-resistant aeroshells that inflate to provide safe, low-cost and efficient transportation through planetary atmospheres—including Earth’s—at hypersonic speeds. The...

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